WC 2003 - Kenyans recover after Lee puts them on back-foot

Durban: Brett Lee claimed a hat-trick as reigning champion Australia restricted Kenya to 174 for eight after sending it to bat in the last World Cup Super Sixes match on Saturday.

Lee finished with three for 14 while Andy Bichel and Darren Lehmann chipped in with two wickets each as the Kenyans found runs hard to come by against the Australian attack at Kingsmead. Both Australia and Kenya have already qualified for the semi-finals with the Africans due to take on India at the same venue on Thursday.

Australia will play the first semi-final at Port Elizabeth on Tuesday against Sri Lanka, who secured the fourth spot by defeating Zimbabwe by 74 runs earlier on Saturday.Lee began the destruction with the fourth ball of his second over when he felled Kennedy Otieno with a rising delivery and the ball dislodged the bails.

Otineo lay writhing in pain before he was taken off the field and rushed to hospital where x-rays revealed no fracture but only a bruised elbow. Next ball, Brijal Patel was snapped up in the slips by Australian captain Ricky Ponting and David Obuya was yorked off the last ball of the over.

It was the first ever hat-trick by an Australian bowler in World Cup history and the second in this tournament following Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas' feat against Bangladesh in the first round.Down three for 3, Kenya made a remarkable recovery when opener Ravindu Shah and skipper Steve Tikolo added 79 for the fourth wicket.

Shah, run out in both his team's earlier Super Six matches, hit six boundaries in his 46 before he holed out in the deep off left-arm spinner Brad Hogg.Tikolo went on to make his team's top score of 51, finally running into form ahead of the crucial semi-final. Hitesh Modi remained unbeaten on 39, sharing a ninth wicket stand of 30 with Martin Suji, who made 15 not out.